Published:

03/14/2011 08:47am

Brenda Answers Interview Questions

Questions?
By Brenda Nixon, parenting author, speaker, radio host


Here it is Friday already. Today, I’m opening my guest blog appearance to your questions on:

parenting,
writing,
speaking, or
marketing.

I’ll springboard our “virtual workshop” by posting common questions I receive along with my answers. Afterward, feel free to post your question.

"As a parenting speaker Brenda, what topics do you address?"

Number one: discipline. Close behind that are toilet teaching, understanding temperament, and boosting a child’s school success. Depending on the program planner’s request, some want my Kindergarten readiness talk and others request a review of normal child development. To keep things interesting and fresh, each of my presentations is unique; some use power point, some use role-play, and some have silly jokes. When I was in Iowa last year, the event planner asked me to close an early childhood conference with “Women Are Winners” — a motivational, lighthearted talk about the volume of work women do. It’s based on the Bible's Proverbs 31 poem.

"What are little things I can do to build my daughter’s self-esteem?"

Always build up your daughter’s other parent. Think about it this way; it takes two people to make one. Your daughter is a combo of her daddy and mommy. When you say negative, demeaning things about her opposite parent, you’ve insulted half of who she is. Also, value your child’s uniqueness. Kids don’t have to always agree with us or follow in our footsteps. They may have their own opinions, likes, and dislikes that differ from ours. Yet well-meaning parents often push their child to go into a sport, be an academic winner, or pursue the parent’s unmet dream. I love the little poem, “Accept Me” by Ruth Reardon.

ACCEPT ME – for what I am
Not what I could have been or even will be.
Accept me.
Acceptance must be present tense, with no conditions, and based on reality.
If windows of your heart must rosy-tinted be you have not accepted me.
See me as I am without distortion of your dreams . . .
A human being, beautiful, unique.
Free to grow according to the seen within myself.
Accept me – so I need not twist myself to fit your pattern. . .
But resting in acceptance, can grow.

"Brenda, which is easier to sell, a well-written novel or nonfiction?"

In today’s market — there’s less fiction selling than nonfiction. If you’re a novelist, be aware that there’s less opportunity to sell your work so write a stellar book while building strong visibility in the marketplace. All writers need visibility - or a platform - through blog tours, speaking gigs, media interviews, and a website.

"What books have you contributed to?"
Oh my, at last count it’s 30.